As a chronic insomniac, I’m either the best or the worst person to review sleep solutions. I don’t have a hard time falling asleep, but I have a very hard time quieting my mind in the middle of the night, thanks a new business (even a wellness-focused one like Well Defined), worries about COVID-19, two kids who often make middle-of-the-night appearances in my bedroom, and obscure thoughts like the lyrics to my favorite song from 1998. From the ridiculous to the serious, nighttime appears to be the right time for my mind to run wild. As such, my eyes tend to pop open around 3 am, and I often stay awake for anywhere between 30 minutes and three hours, which makes my 6 am wakeup time somewhat dreadful on certain days. I’ve also been told by my husband that I’m a notoriously light snoozer who is awakened at the slightest rustle of a sheet, which apparently makes me quite a joy to sleep with and further adds to my sleep dysfunction.
Turns out, I’m not alone in my struggles with sleep. A recent report claims that nearly 51 percent of adults worldwide don’t catch enough ZZZs—the ideal amount is seven to eight hours a night. The side effects of this sleep detriment can be pretty dire and include unhappiness, depression, low sex drive, lack of energy, weight gain, memory loss, and general negativity.
When I decided to tackle a review of cannabidiol (CBD), cannabinol (CBN), cannabigerol (CBG) products and their effect on sleep, I was a little dubious about anything changing my terrible sleep patterns but excited about the prospect of making a change. I also am a firm believer in the benefits of cannabinoids, so I’m pleased to report that all of these products made an impact—I found myself falling asleep more easily, having fewer middle-of-the-night wakeups, and even when I did wake up, I found that I fell back to sleep pretty quickly. Even better, my sleep has improved without resorting to pharmaceuticals, which is an intervention I’m keen to avoid and one of the many benefits of making the move to plant-based healing.
For those of you who aren’t quite familiar with the lingo, here the scoop: CBD, CBG, and CBN are all cannabinoids, non-hallucinogenic compounds that are part of the cannabis plant that provide a range of healing and medicinal benefits. When it comes to sleep, CBD has been found to relieve anxiety and stress and induce calm; CBN has sedative effects; and CBG helps increase dopamine levels to support sleep and reduce anxiety. When used alone, together, or with other snooze-inducing ingredients, these cannabinoids can help you achieve a good night’s rest.
Whether you are ready to sample these products for yourself or make them a retail option for clients who are chasing the sandman, there are a lot of great reasons to give sleep-focused CBD, CBN, and CBG products a try. Consistent and healthy shut-eye can boost immunity, strengthen your heart, prevent weight gain, increase productivity, and generally make you a happier, healthier human being, all of which sounds like a dream!
